A Convolution-Based System for Malicious URLs Detection

Since the web service is essential in daily lives, cyber security becomes more and more important in this digital world. Malicious Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a common and serious threat to cybersecurity. It hosts unsolicited content and lure unsuspecting users to become victim of scams, such as theft of private information, monetary loss, and malware installation. Thus, it is imperative to detect such threats. However, traditional approaches for malicious URLs detection that based on the blacklists are easy to be bypassed and lack the ability to detect newly generated malicious URLs. In this paper, we propose a novel malicious URL detection method based on deep learning model to protect against web attacks. Specifically, we firstly use auto-encoder to represent URLs. Then, the represented URLs will be input into a proposed composite neural network for detection. In order to evaluate the proposed system, we made extensive experiments on HTTP CSIC2010 dataset and a dataset we collected, and the experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

IoT-Cloud Assisted Botnet Detection Using Rat Swarm Optimizer withDeepLearning

Nowadays, Internet of Things (IoT) has penetrated all facets of human life while on the other hand, IoT devices are heavily prone to cyberattacks. It has become important to develop an accurate system that can detect malicious attacks on IoT environments in order to mitigate security risks. Botnet is one of the dreadful malicious entities that has affected many users for the past few decades. It is challenging to recognize Botnet since it has excellent carrying and hidden capacities. Various approaches have been employed to identify the source of Botnet at earlier stages. Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) techniques are developed based on heavy influence from Botnet detection methodology. In spite of this, it is still a challenging task to detect Botnet at early stages due to low number of features accessible from Botnet dataset. The current study devises IoT with Cloud Assisted Botnet Detection and Classification utilizing Rat Swarm Optimizer with Deep Learning (BDC-RSODL) model. The presented BDC-RSODL model includes a series of processes like pre-processing, feature subset selection, classification, and parameter tuning. Initially, the network data is pre-processed to make it compatible for further processing. Besides, RSO algorithm is exploited for effective selection of subset of features. Additionally, Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) algorithm is utilized for both identification and classification of botnets. Finally, Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA) is executed for fine-tuning the hyperparameters related to LSTM model. In order to validate the promising performance of BDC-RSODL system, a comprehensive comparison analysis was conducted. The obtained results confirmed the supremacy of BDC-RSODL model over recent approaches.     

Symbiotic Organisms Search with Deep Learning Driven Biomedical Osteosarcoma Detection and Classification

Osteosarcoma is one of the rare bone cancers that affect the individuals aged between 10 and 30 and it incurs high death rate. Early diagnosis of osteosarcoma is essential to improve the survivability rate and treatment protocols. Traditional physical examination procedure is not only a time-consuming process, but it also primarily relies upon the expert’s knowledge. In this background, the recently developed Deep Learning (DL) models can be applied to perform decision making. At the same time, hyperparameter optimization of DL models also plays an important role in influencing overall classification performance. The current study introduces a novel Symbiotic Organisms Search with Deep Learning-driven Osteosarcoma Detection and Classification (SOSDL-ODC) model. The presented SOSDL-ODC technique primarily focuses on recognition and classification of osteosarcoma using histopathological images. In order to achieve this, the presented SOSDL-ODC technique initially applies image pre-processing approach to enhance the quality of image. Also, MobileNetv2 model is applied to generate a suitable group of feature vectors whereas hyperparameter tuning of MobileNetv2 model is performed using SOS algorithm. At last, Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) technique is applied as a classification model to determine proper class labels. In order to validate the enhanced osteosarcoma classification performance of the proposed SOSDL-ODC technique, a comprehensive comparative analysis was conducted. The obtained outcomes confirmed the betterment of SOSDL-ODC approach than the existing approaches as the former achieved a maximum accuracy of 97.73%.     

Optimal Bottleneck-Driven Deep Belief Network Enabled Malware Classification on IoT-Cloud Environment

Cloud Computing (CC) is the most promising and advanced technology to store data and offer online services in an effective manner. When such fast evolving technologies are used in the protection of computer-based systems from cyberattacks, it brings several advantages compared to conventional data protection methods. Some of the computer-based systems that effectively protect the data include Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile devices, desktop and laptop computer, and critical systems. Malicious software (malware) is nothing but a type of software that targets the computer-based systems so as to launch cyber-attacks and threaten the integrity, secrecy, and accessibility of the information. The current study focuses on design of Optimal Bottleneck driven Deep Belief Network-enabled Cybersecurity Malware Classification (OBDDBN-CMC) model. The presented OBDDBN-CMC model intends to recognize and classify the malware that exists in IoT-based cloud platform. To attain this, Z-score data normalization is utilized to scale the data into a uniform format. In addition, BDDBN model is also exploited for recognition and categorization of malware. To effectually fine-tune the hyperparameters related to BDDBN model, Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (GOA) is applied. This scenario enhances the classification results and also shows the novelty of current study. The experimental analysis was conducted upon OBDDBN-CMC model for validation and the results confirmed the enhanced performance of OBDDBN-CMC model over recent approaches.     

Malicious Traffic Detection in IoT and Local Networks Using Stacked Ensemble Classifier

Malicious traffic detection over the internet is one of the challenging areas for researchers to protect network infrastructures from any malicious activity. Several shortcomings of a network system can be leveraged by an attacker to get unauthorized access through malicious traffic. Safeguard from such attacks requires an efficient automatic system that can detect malicious traffic timely and avoid system damage. Currently, many automated systems can detect malicious activity, however, the efficacy and accuracy need further improvement to detect malicious traffic from multi-domain systems. The present study focuses on the detection of malicious traffic with high accuracy using machine learning techniques. The proposed approach used two datasets UNSW-NB15 and IoTID20 which contain the data for IoT-based traffic and local network traffic, respectively. Both datasets were combined to increase the capability of the proposed approach in detecting malicious traffic from local and IoT networks, with high accuracy. Horizontally merging both datasets requires an equal number of features which was achieved by reducing feature count to 30 for each dataset by leveraging principal component analysis (PCA). The proposed model incorporates stacked ensemble model extra boosting forest (EBF) which is a combination of tree-based models such as extra tree classifier, gradient boosting classifier, and random forest using a stacked ensemble approach. Empirical results show that EBF performed significantly better and achieved the highest accuracy score of 0.985 and 0.984 on the multi-domain dataset for two and four classes, respectively.     

Arithmetic Optimization with Ensemble Deep Transfer Learning BasedMelanoma Classification

Melanoma is a skin disease with high mortality rate while early diagnoses of the disease can increase the survival chances of patients. It is challenging to automatically diagnose melanoma from dermoscopic skin samples. Computer-Aided Diagnostic (CAD) tool saves time and effort in diagnosing melanoma compared to existing medical approaches. In this background, there is a need exists to design an automated classification model for melanoma that can utilize deep and rich feature datasets of an image for disease classification. The current study develops an Intelligent Arithmetic Optimization with Ensemble Deep Transfer Learning Based Melanoma Classification (IAOEDTT-MC) model. The proposed IAOEDTT-MC model focuses on identification and classification of melanoma from dermoscopic images. To accomplish this, IAOEDTT-MC model applies image preprocessing at the initial stage in which Gabor Filtering (GF) technique is utilized. In addition, U-Net segmentation approach is employed to segment the lesion regions in dermoscopic images. Besides, an ensemble of DL models including ResNet50 and ElasticNet models is applied in this study. Moreover, AO algorithm with Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) method is utilized for identification and classification of melanoma. The proposed IAOEDTT-MC method was experimentally validated with the help of benchmark datasets and the proposed model attained maximum accuracy of 92.09% on ISIC 2017 dataset.     

A Real-Time Sequential Deep Extreme Learning Machine Cybersecurity Intrusion Detection System

In recent years, cybersecurity has attracted significant interest due to the rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the widespread development of computer infrastructure and systems. It is thus becoming particularly necessary to identify cyber-attacks or irregularities in the system and develop an efficient intrusion detection framework that is integral to security. Researchers have worked on developing intrusion detection models that depend on machine learning (ML) methods to address these security problems. An intelligent intrusion detection device powered by data can exploit artificial intelligence (AI), and especially ML, techniques. Accordingly, we propose in this article an intrusion detection model based on a Real-Time Sequential Deep Extreme Learning Machine Cybersecurity Intrusion Detection System (RTS-DELM-CSIDS) security model. The proposed model initially determines the rating of security aspects contributing to their significance and then develops a comprehensive intrusion detection framework focused on the essential characteristics. Furthermore, we investigated the feasibility of our proposed RTS-DELM-CSIDS framework by performing dataset evaluations and calculating accuracy parameters to validate. The experimental findings demonstrate that the RTS-DELM-CSIDS framework outperforms conventional algorithms. Furthermore, the proposed approach has not only research significance but also practical significance.     

Optimal Deep Reinforcement Learning for Intrusion Detection in UAVs

In recent years, progressive developments have been observed in recent technologies and the production cost has been continuously decreasing. In such scenario, Internet of Things (IoT) network which is comprised of a set of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), has received more attention from civilian to military applications. But network security poses a serious challenge to UAV networks whereas the intrusion detection system (IDS) is found to be an effective process to secure the UAV networks. Classical IDSs are not adequate to handle the latest computer networks that possess maximum bandwidth and data traffic. In order to improve the detection performance and reduce the false alarms generated by IDS, several researchers have employed Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) algorithms to address the intrusion detection problem. In this view, the current research article presents a deep reinforcement learning technique, optimized by Black Widow Optimization (DRL-BWO) algorithm, for UAV networks. In addition, DRL involves an improved reinforcement learning-based Deep Belief Network (DBN) for intrusion detection. For parameter optimization of DRL technique, BWO algorithm is applied. It helps in improving the intrusion detection performance of UAV networks. An extensive set of experimental analysis was performed to highlight the supremacy of the proposed model. From the simulation values, it is evident that the proposed method is appropriate as it attained high precision, recall, F-measure, and accuracy values such as 0.985, 0.993, 0.988, and 0.989 respectively.     

Toward Robust Classifiers for PDF Malware Detection

Malicious Portable Document Format (PDF) files represent one of the largest threats in the computer security space. Significant research has been done using handwritten signatures and machine learning based on detection via manual feature extraction. These approaches are time consuming, require substantial prior knowledge, and the list of features must be updated with each newly discovered vulnerability individually. In this study, we propose two models for PDF malware detection. The first model is a convolutional neural network (CNN) integrated into a standard deviation based regularization model to detect malicious PDF documents. The second model is a support vector machine (SVM) based ensemble model with three different kernels. The two models were trained and tested on two different datasets. The experimental results show that the accuracy of both models is approximately 100%, and the robustness against evasive samples is excellent. Further, the robustness of the models was evaluated with malicious PDF documents generated using Mimicus. Both models can distinguish the different vulnerabilities exploited in malicious files and achieve excellent performance in terms of generalization ability, accuracy, and robustness.     

Semi-GSGCN: Social Robot Detection Research with Graph Neural Network

Malicious social robots are the disseminators of malicious information on social networks, which seriously affect information security and network environments. Efficient and reliable classification of social robots is crucial for detecting information manipulation in social networks. Supervised classification based on manual feature extraction has been widely used in social robot detection. However, these methods not only involve the privacy of users but also ignore hidden feature information, especially the graph feature, and the label utilization rate of semi-supervised algorithms is low. Aiming at the problems of shallow feature extraction and low label utilization rate in existing social network robot detection methods, in this paper a robot detection scheme based on weighted network topology is proposed, which introduces an improved network representation learning algorithm to extract the local structure features of the network, and combined with the graph convolution network (GCN) algorithm based on the graph filter, to obtain the global structure features of the network. An end-to-end semi-supervised combination model (Semi-GSGCN) is established to detect malicious social robots. Experiments on a social network dataset (cresci-rtbust-2019) show that the proposed method has high versatility and effectiveness in detecting social robots. In addition, this method has a stronger insight into robots in social networks than other methods.     

Sailfish Optimizer with EfficientNet Model for Apple Leaf Disease Detection

Recent developments in digital cameras and electronic gadgets coupled with Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL)-based automated apple leaf disease detection models are commonly employed as reasonable alternatives to traditional visual inspection models. In this background, the current paper devises an Effective Sailfish Optimizer with EfficientNet-based Apple Leaf disease detection (ESFO-EALD) model. The goal of the proposed ESFO-EALD technique is to identify the occurrence of plant leaf diseases automatically. In this scenario, Median Filtering (MF) approach is utilized to boost the quality of apple plant leaf images. Moreover, SFO with Kapur's entropy-based segmentation technique is also utilized for the identification of the affected plant region from test image. Furthermore, Adam optimizer with EfficientNet-based feature extraction and Spiking Neural Network (SNN)-based classification are employed to detect and classify the apple plant leaf images. A wide range of simulations was conducted to ensure the effective outcomes of ESFO-EALD technique on benchmark dataset. The results reported the supremacy of the proposed ESFO-EALD approach than the existing approaches.     

A lightweight deep learning model for retinal optical coherence tomography image classification

Automated retinal disease detection and grading is one of the most researched areas in medical image analysis. In recent years, Deep Learning models have attracted much attention in this field. Hence, in this paper, we present a Deep Learning-based, lightweight, fully automated end-to-end diagnostic system for the detection of the two major retinal diseases, namely diabetic macular oedema (DME) and drusen macular degeneration (DMD). Early detection of these diseases is important to prevent vision impairment. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is the main imaging technique for detecting these diseases. The model proposed in this work is based on residual blocks and channel attention modules. The performance of the model is evaluated using the publicly available Mendeley OCT dataset and the Duke dataset. We were able to achieve a classification accuracy of 99.5% in the Mendeley test dataset and 94.9% in the Duke dataset with the proposed model. For the application, we performed an extensive evaluation of pre-trained models (LeNet, AlexNet, VGG-16, ResNet50 and SE-ResNet). The proposed model has a much smaller number of trainable parameters and shows superior performance compared to existing methods.     

Blockchain Assisted Intrusion Detection System Using Differential Flower Pollination Model

Cyberattacks are developing gradually sophisticated, requiring effective intrusion detection systems (IDSs) for monitoring computer resources and creating reports on anomalous or suspicious actions. With the popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the security of IoT networks is developing a vital problem. Because of the huge number and varied kinds of IoT devices, it can be challenging task for protecting the IoT framework utilizing a typical IDS. The typical IDSs have their restrictions once executed to IoT networks because of resource constraints and complexity. Therefore, this paper presents a new Blockchain Assisted Intrusion Detection System using Differential Flower Pollination with Deep Learning (BAIDS-DFPDL) model in IoT Environment. The presented BAIDS-DFPDL model mainly focuses on the identification and classification of intrusions in the IoT environment. To accomplish this, the presented BAIDS-DFPDL model follows blockchain (BC) technology for effective and secure data transmission among the agents. Besides, the presented BAIDS-DFPDL model designs Differential Flower Pollination based feature selection (DFPFS) technique to elect features. Finally, sailfish optimization (SFO) with Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) model is applied for effectual recognition of intrusions. The simulation results on benchmark dataset exhibit the enhanced performance of the BAIDS-DFPDL model over other models on the recognition of intrusions.     

Data Augmentation and Random Multi-Model Deep Learning for Data Classification

In the machine learning (ML) paradigm, data augmentation serves as a regularization approach for creating ML models. The increase in the diversification of training samples increases the generalization capabilities, which enhances the prediction performance of classifiers when tested on unseen examples. Deep learning (DL) models have a lot of parameters, and they frequently overfit. Effectively, to avoid overfitting, data plays a major role to augment the latest improvements in DL. Nevertheless, reliable data collection is a major limiting factor. Frequently, this problem is undertaken by combining augmentation of data, transfer learning, dropout, and methods of normalization in batches. In this paper, we introduce the application of data augmentation in the field of image classification using Random Multi-model Deep Learning (RMDL) which uses the association approaches of multiDL to yield random models for classification. We present a methodology for using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to generate images for data augmenting. Through experiments, we discover that samples generated by GANs when fed into RMDL improve both accuracy and model efficiency. Experimenting across both MNIST and CIAFAR-10 datasets show that, error rate with proposed approach has been decreased with different random models.     

Optimal Hybrid Deep Learning Enabled Attack Detection and Classification in IoT Environment

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm enables end users to access networking services amongst diverse kinds of electronic devices. IoT security mechanism is a technology that concentrates on safeguarding the devices and networks connected in the IoT environment. In recent years, False Data Injection Attacks (FDIAs) have gained considerable interest in the IoT environment. Cybercriminals compromise the devices connected to the network and inject the data. Such attacks on the IoT environment can result in a considerable loss and interrupt normal activities among the IoT network devices. The FDI attacks have been effectively overcome so far by conventional threat detection techniques. The current research article develops a Hybrid Deep Learning to Combat Sophisticated False Data Injection Attacks detection (HDL-FDIAD) for the IoT environment. The presented HDL-FDIAD model majorly recognizes the presence of FDI attacks in the IoT environment. The HDL-FDIAD model exploits the Equilibrium Optimizer-based Feature Selection (EO-FS) technique to select the optimal subset of the features. Moreover, the Long Short Term Memory with Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) model is also utilized for the purpose of classification. At last, the Bayesian Optimization (BO) algorithm is employed as a hyperparameter optimizer in this study. To validate the enhanced performance of the HDL-FDIAD model, a wide range of simulations was conducted, and the results were investigated in detail. A comparative study was conducted between the proposed model and the existing models. The outcomes revealed that the proposed HDL-FDIAD model is superior to other models.     

Tackling Faceless Killers: Toxic Comment Detection to Maintain a Healthy Internet Environment

According to BBC News, online hate speech increased by 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hate speech from anonymous users can result in psychological harm, including depression and trauma, and can even lead to suicide. Malicious online comments are increasingly becoming a social and cultural problem. It is therefore critical to detect such comments at the national level and detect malicious users at the corporate level. To achieve a healthy and safe Internet environment, studies should focus on institutional and technical topics. The detection of toxic comments can create a safe online environment. In this study, to detect malicious comments, we used approximately 9,400 examples of hate speech from a Korean corpus of entertainment news comments. We developed toxic comment classification models using supervised learning algorithms, including decision trees, random forest, a support vector machine, and K-nearest neighbors. The proposed model uses random forests to classify toxic words, achieving an F1-score of 0.94. We analyzed the trained model using the permutation feature importance, which is an explanatory machine learning method. Our experimental results confirmed that the toxic comment classifier properly classified hate words used in Korea. Using this research methodology, the proposed method can create a healthy Internet environment by detecting malicious comments written in Korean.     

Evolutionary Intelligence and Deep Learning Enabled Diabetic Retinopathy Classification Model

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) has become a widespread illness among diabetics across the globe. Retinal fundus images are generally used by physicians to detect and classify the stages of DR. Since manual examination of DR images is a time-consuming process with the risks of biased results, automated tools using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to diagnose the disease have become essential. In this view, the current study develops an Optimal Deep Learning-enabled Fusion-based Diabetic Retinopathy Detection and Classification (ODL-FDRDC) technique. The intention of the proposed ODL-FDRDC technique is to identify DR and categorize its different grades using retinal fundus images. In addition, ODL-FDRDC technique involves region growing segmentation technique to determine the infected regions. Moreover, the fusion of two DL models namely, CapsNet and MobileNet is used for feature extraction. Further, the hyperparameter tuning of these models is also performed via Coyote Optimization Algorithm (COA). Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) is also utilized to identify DR. The experimental results of the analysis, accomplished by ODL-FDRDC technique against benchmark DR dataset, established the supremacy of the technique over existing methodologies under different measures.     

MI-STEG: A Medical Image Steganalysis Framework Based on Ensemble Deep Learning

Medical image steganography aims to increase data security by concealing patient-personal information as well as diagnostic and therapeutic data in the spatial or frequency domain of radiological images. On the other hand, the discipline of image steganalysis generally provides a classification based on whether an image has hidden data or not. Inspired by previous studies on image steganalysis, this study proposes a deep ensemble learning model for medical image steganalysis to detect malicious hidden data in medical images and develop medical image steganography methods aimed at securing personal information. With this purpose in mind, a dataset containing brain Magnetic Resonance (MR) images of healthy individuals and epileptic patients was built. Spatial Version of the Universal Wavelet Relative Distortion (S-UNIWARD), Highly Undetectable Stego (HUGO), and Minimizing the Power of Optimal Detector (MIPOD) techniques used in spatial image steganalysis were adapted to the problem, and various payloads of confidential data were hidden in medical images. The architectures of medical image steganalysis networks were transferred separately from eleven Dense Convolutional Network (DenseNet), Residual Neural Network (ResNet), and Inception-based models. The steganalysis outputs of these networks were determined by assembling models separately for each spatial embedding method with different payload ratios. The study demonstrated the success of pre-trained ResNet, DenseNet, and Inception models in the cover-stego mismatch scenario for each hiding technique with different payloads. Due to the high detection accuracy achieved, the proposed model has the potential to lead to the development of novel medical image steganography algorithms that existing deep learning-based steganalysis methods cannot detect. The experiments and the evaluations clearly proved this attempt.     

Metaheuristics with Deep Learning Empowered Biomedical Atherosclerosis Disease Diagnosis and Classification

Atherosclerosis diagnosis is an inarticulate and complicated cognitive process. Researches on medical diagnosis necessitate maximum accuracy and performance to make optimal clinical decisions. Since the medical diagnostic outcomes need to be prompt and accurate, the recently developed artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning (DL) models have received considerable attention among research communities. This study develops a novel Metaheuristics with Deep Learning Empowered Biomedical Atherosclerosis Disease Diagnosis and Classification (MDL-BADDC) model. The proposed MDL-BADDC technique encompasses several stages of operations such as pre-processing, feature selection, classification, and parameter tuning. Besides, the proposed MDL-BADDC technique designs a novel Quasi-Oppositional Barnacles Mating Optimizer (QOBMO) based feature selection technique. Moreover, the deep stacked autoencoder (DSAE) based classification model is designed for the detection and classification of atherosclerosis disease. Furthermore, the krill herd algorithm (KHA) based parameter tuning technique is applied to properly adjust the parameter values. In order to showcase the enhanced classification performance of the MDL-BADDC technique, a wide range of simulations take place on three benchmarks biomedical datasets. The comparative result analysis reported the better performance of the MDL-BADDC technique over the compared methods.     

Optimal Deep Transfer Learning Model for Histopathological Breast CancerClassification

Earlier recognition of breast cancer is crucial to decrease the severity and optimize the survival rate. One of the commonly utilized imaging modalities for breast cancer is histopathological images. Since manual inspection of histopathological images is a challenging task, automated tools using deep learning (DL) and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches need to be designed. The latest advances of DL models help in accomplishing maximum image classification performance in several application areas. In this view, this study develops a Deep Transfer Learning with Rider Optimization Algorithm for Histopathological Classification of Breast Cancer (DTLRO-HCBC) technique. The proposed DTLRO-HCBC technique aims to categorize the existence of breast cancer using histopathological images. To accomplish this, the DTLRO-HCBC technique undergoes pre-processing and data augmentation to increase quantitative analysis. Then, optimal SqueezeNet model is employed for feature extractor and the hyperparameter tuning process is carried out using the Adadelta optimizer. Finally, rider optimization with deep feed forward neural network (RO-DFFNN) technique was utilized employed for breast cancer classification. The RO algorithm is applied for optimally adjusting the weight and bias values of the DFFNN technique. For demonstrating the greater performance of the DTLRO-HCBC approach, a sequence of simulations were carried out and the outcomes reported its promising performance over the current state of art approaches.